


Abyssus Abyssum Invocat

by darthrevaan (Burning_Nightingale)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Developing Relationship, Force Visions, M/M, Mission Fic, Prophetic Visions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-03
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2020-02-04 20:13:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18611701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burning_Nightingale/pseuds/darthrevaan
Summary: While searching for Separatists on the very edge of the Unknown Regions, Obi-Wan and Anakin discover three things.A Chiss pilot in desperate need of their help; a Jedi Temple more ancient than the Republic itself; and a dire warning.





	1. Stars

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ASadHermitStory](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ASadHermitStory/gifts).



> This was meant to be simple mission fic featuring three of my favourite things; Force visions, ancient galactic history worldbuilding and the Chiss.
> 
> As you can see, it spiraled out of hand.

_Stars_

Since the second year of the war, the clones had played a game with each other. In their off hours, in the quiet moments on long flights or the pauses when the guns weren’t firing, in the infirmary to cheer up a wounded brother or to stir up some raucous conversation around the table in the mess, the troopers would ask each other one question.

What would you be, if you weren’t a soldier?

Anakin had heard many different answers. Holonet star was a favourite, as was podracer; Kix was keeping an informal count among the 501st and the other battalions they encountered, so Anakin knew that bounty hunter was another popular choice, though no trooper had ever been brave enough to say it in his earshot. Farmer, surprisingly, was a favourite, as was freighter pilot, and oddly enough, zookeeper. Anakin could tell some clones had no answer - perhaps because they couldn’t bring themselves to dream of a life outside the military, or perhaps because they just couldn’t conceive of doing anything but this. Some of them admitted it; some just gave a rote answer, content to let others think they had ordinary dreams and desires, too.

Predictably, Fives had been the first one brave enough to ask Anakin to join in with their game. They had all been amused by Anakin’s childhood dream of podracing glory, and that had been answer enough then; later he’d mused that perhaps he’d like to be a mechanic, or a pilot, and had eventually settled on the idea of a starship engineer. He so often saw the faults in the fundamental designs of the ships he used, saw how easily they could be made faster or more efficient with only a few simple tweaks. He would enjoy that sort of work, he thought.

He’d been both interested and surprised at other people’s answers. He’d assumed Obi-Wan would say something along the lines of a university professor, or perhaps a novelist, but apparently his former teacher had harboured a secret desire since childhood to become a concert pianist. Padmé had always idly entertained the idea of becoming an artist. Rex maintained that his true dream was to be a Maandali pit fighter, and he said it with such seriousness that it convinced a few of the overawed new recruits, but Anakin knew he’d probably much prefer something to do with plants, budding botanist that he was. Ahsoka had always said she’d want to be a hyperspace explorer.

Anakin had that answer in mind now, as he programmed their ship’s navicomputer for another jump. “Ready,” he said, his hand hovering over the hyperspace lever.

“Confirm,” Obi-Wan said, his voice calm and confident. Confident in Anakin’s navigation skills - or so he hoped.

Anakin pushed the lever forward, and felt the jolt and tug in his stomach as their ship sprung forward into hyperspace. “That should be the last one now,” he said, sitting back in his seat. “The Council’s briefing didn’t mention having to plot a jump-by-jump course to Sendala.”

“The Archive’s records on this sector of space have been woefully out of date for quite some time,” Obi-Wan said. “I don’t doubt that the hyperlane route we were supposed to be taking _was_ clear, at some point in the past. As we know, such things change quickly, the farther you go into the Unknown Regions.”

Just the name sent a shiver up Anakin’s spine. It was irrational to fear a place based only on stories, but he’d grown up on his mother’s tales of strange creatures and adventures in the Unknown Regions, as well as the tall stories he and his friends had made up to scare each other. The idea of awful and terrifying creatures lurking beyond the boundaries of known space was one that had set down deep roots in his mind. “We’re not in the Unknown Regions yet,” he said.

“The border between it and Wild Space is a little fuzzy, I’ll grant you,” Obi-Wan said. In contrast to Anakin, he sounded as if the concept of the Unknown Regions didn’t bother him in the slightest.

“Since we actually know the name of this planet, I’m going for ‘we’re still in Wild Space’,” Anakin said, making a check on their course. So far as he could tell, his calculations were good.

“Whatever makes you feel more comfortable, Anakin.”

Anakin shot him an annoyed sideways glance, but a ping from the ship’s console prevented him from saying more. “Looks like we’re here,” he said.

Obi-Wan sat up a straighter in his seat. “Good. I must admit I’ll feel better once we’ve settled whatever’s going on out here,” he said, as Anakin pulled on the hyperspace lever and sent them back into realspace. “I feel guilty leaving Cody and the rest to-”

Obi-Wan was cut off by the console this time - by the proximity alert warning.

“Did we come out of hyperspace too close to something?” he snapped, instantly alert, his hands on the co-pilot’s controls.

“No,” Anakin said through gritted teeth, his eyes scanning the displays in front of him. “Whatever it is, it's small, and moving fast. I think it’s another ship. Coming up fast on the left.”

“Shields?”

“They’re up.”

A second later a shudder raced through the ship, and a pealing alarm started to blare. “Good thing too, that was quite a hit,” Obi-Wan said, as Anakin threw the ship into a sideways roll. “Gun turret?”

Anakin nodded. “I can handle the piloting. Go.”

Obi-Wan unstrapped himself and darted off, using the Force to keep his balance as Anakin jinked and weaved through space, trying to avoid the other ship. His instruments had picked up a better scan of it now; it was a small craft, perhaps some kind of corvette or light freighter, the design unlike anything Anakin had seen in Republic space. He spun again, avoiding another blast from the unknown ship’s lasers.

“I’m in position,” Obi-Wan said through his ear piece. “Any idea who it is out there?”

“Nope. The only communication we’ve had has been laser fire.”

“Have you tried hailing them?”

“Little busy,” Anakin said, weaving away from another attack.

“Maybe if we send a few shots their way they’ll be willing to talk,” Obi-Wan said; a second later Anakin heard the sound of their own laser cannon opening fire. The ship behind them veered off course, avoiding the shots, giving Anakin a precious few seconds to right the ship and glance at the system scan. His brief look confirmed that there was a planet nearby, as they’d hoped. He caught sight of it as he turned the ship again, avoiding another barrage of fire; a glowing marble of greenish-blue slipping past in the left viewport.

Obi-Wan returned fire, and his salvo seemed to catch something on the enemy ship. “Grazed his wing,” Obi-Wan said tightly, “See if you get a response to a hail now, Anakin.”

Anakin bit back an annoyed reply and reached for the comms system. Obi-Wan was right; it would be better to end this without destroying an unknown, possibly innocent ship if they could help it.

“Jedi vessel 5-X50 to unknown ship, break off hostilities, repeat, break off hostilities. We’re here peacefully in this system, over.”

Anakin waited a few seconds, but the comm crackled with static, and he cursed as he dodged another blast of fire. That seemed to be their answer, then.

“Try Meese Caulf,” Obi-Wan said, firing back at their pursuers as he spoke. “They might not understand Basic.”

“I’m _trying_ to keep us alive, Obi-Wan-”

Without warning, another ship appeared on Anakin’s scope. He barely had a second to look at it before he was back to spinning their ship around, avoiding fire; then without warning, the enemy ship disappeared.

Anakin heard Obi-Wan hiss softly. “What?” he asked.

“That was quite the explosion,” Obi-Wan said, “And it wasn’t me.”

“There’s another ship out there,” Anakin said, looking back at the scope. The second ship was clearly visible, circling around to their right; slowing down from attack speed, if his indicator was reading right. “I think they were the ones who destroyed the ship attacking us.”

“It certainly seems that way,” Obi-Wan said, his voice thoughtful.

“You should probably come back down here,” Anakin said; then he jumped as the console began to beep.

It was the comms array. Someone was hailing them - probably their rescuers. Anakin flipped the switch cautiously, answering the hail.

The voice that came through the speaker was clear, and as far as he could tell, female. She spoke several short, clipped sentences in a language Anakin didn’t understand, and then went silent.

After waiting for a moment to make sure she wouldn’t say anything else, Anakin leaned in and said, “Please repeat, unknown ship, your language is unfamiliar to me. Do you speak Meese Caulf, over?” he added, switching to the language in question.

Another long moment of silence went past before the unknown speaker said slowly, “Yes, this language is known to me, though I am not so good. Please forgive any mistakes. I say again; I am Kres’ana’vali of the Chiss Defence Fleet. Please state your name and business in this sector, over.”

Anakin frowned to himself. Another Chiss. He’d thought they weren’t supposed to venture much beyond their own region of space, but this encounter combined with his meeting with Thrawn seemed to contest that rumour. “I am Anakin Skywalker of the Jedi Order. We were invited to meet here by a contact,” he said, making up the lie as he went, “He said this would be a good quiet sector to meet in. Apparently he got that wrong, over.”

“The ownership of this system is contested between the Avansa and the Kwaloire. They consider any intruders fair game. Perhaps your contact did not know this, over?”

“Or he meant to mess up our plans,” Anakin said. “Was it an Avansa or Kwaloire ship that you took down, over?”

“Avansa. They are an expansionist species from several systems over. Does this matter to you? Will the Jedi seek restitutions, over?”

“No. Revenge is not the Jedi way.” Anakin paused. “I’m much more interested in why you helped us, over.”

There was a silence. “It was not within the scope of my mission,” Kres’ana’vali said eventually. “If I had followed protocol I would have left you to your fate. But I heard you say you were Jedi.” She paused. “I have heard of the Jedi. I am wondering if you might be able to help me. Over.”

Anakin noticed then that Obi-Wan had returned to the cockpit; he’d been so engrossed in his conversation that he hadn’t noticed him slip inside. He flipped the comm microphone off and said, “What do you think? She might know something about this system, or she might have seen the Separatists.”

“Or she might be who the Separatists are trying to ally with, and she’s drawing us into a trap.”

“Maybe. But from what little we know about them, the Chiss are supposed to be pretty xenophobic; they prefer watching other species, rather than getting involved. Thrawn certainly had no interest in making contact with the Senate when Padmé and I suggested it to him. I can’t see why they’d be any more willing to get involved with the Separatists.”

“Unless the Separatists have something they want,” Obi-Wan mused darkly. After a moment’s thought he added, “But you’re right; she might know something. Let us see what it is she wants.”

Anakin flipped the microphone back on. “What is it you need help with, over?”

There was another long pause. “I’ve found something,” Kres’ana’vali said eventually. “My people had thought Sendala was never inhabited, but I’ve found structures on the surface. From the pictures, I think they might have something to do with the Jedi, over.”

Anakin exchanged a long look with Obi-Wan. “A Jedi Temple?” Anakin asked, muting the microphone for a moment.

“Could be,” Obi-Wan said. “Or just a lie to get us down to the surface.”

“Yeah, but if it really _is_ a Jedi Temple, this far out into Wild Space? Who knows what could be in there, or when it was built?”

Obi-Wan sighed heavily. “It is very unlikely that any Jedi ever made it out this far, Anakin. This seems like quite the outlandish tale.”

“Which is exactly why it’s probably true, _because_ it’s unbelievable-”

“Or that’s what they want you to think.”

“ _Or_ you’re way too paranoid.” Anakin gestured out the viewport. “If we refuse her, what then? What if she opens fire? We’ll have lost our chance to deal peacefully with her.”

Obi-Wan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, the gesture so familiar that it sent a wash of fondness through Anakin’s chest, even through his annoyance. “Very well,” Obi-Wan said reluctantly, “We’ll see whatever it is she wants to show us. But if this ends up being a trap, it’s all _your_ fault.”

Despite himself Anakin grinned. “Of course, master.” He flipped the microphone back on. “We’ve discussed it, and decided we’d like to see the structures you described. Could you take us to them, over?”

“I can,” the answer came back instantly, “Follow me.”


	2. Earth

_Earth_

The surface of Sendala was a swathe of pale greens and blues, the landscape alternating frequently between grassland and small seas and rivers below a brooding grey sky. Anakin sped along several hundred metres above it, following the sleek, gunmetal grey ship that had led them down to the planet. Just as Kres’ana’vali had said, there seemed to be no sign of settlements on the surface; the landscape slipped past underneath them, the grassland ending suddenly as they soared over a wide, roiling sea.

Kres’ana’vali set her ship down once they reached the opposite shore, and Anakin brought their ship in to land a hundred metres or so down the shoreline – out of laser range, or so he hoped. “Well, we haven’t been shot at yet,” he joked, unstrapping himself from his seat.

“There’s still lots of time,” Obi-Wan muttered. The two of them made their way out of the cockpit, down the pokey access corridor, and Anakin hit the hatch release. A rush of cold wind swirled in as soon as the ramp began to open, bringing with it the smell of damp earth and salt. Anakin breathed deeply as they stepped outside, relishing the clean, sharp air.

The landscape was much as it had appeared from the air. They stood on a grassy headland, with the sea crashing against the rocks below to their right, and a plain of swaying grassland sweeping away on their left. To the north, Anakin could see a series of low hills growing steadily into a mountain range that dominated the skyline.

“Look,” Obi-Wan said, gesturing toward the other starship.

The ramp of the Chiss starship slid open in one fluid motion, and the figure Anakin assumed to be Kres’ana’vali stepped out. Anakin frowned as they watched her walk down the ramp and start in their direction. “She’s shorter than I thought she’d be,” he said.

Obi-Wan was frowning as well, but he said nothing, just started walking forward.

Anakin’s suspicions were confirmed as Kres’ana’vali came closer. If Chiss displayed the same physical traits of aging as human children, he would guess she was about thirteen years old. Dressed in a black military style uniform with bright splashes of red on the collar, cuffs and epaulets, her stance as she neared them was stiff and precise, as if she were standing to attention even while she walked. And there was something else…something familiar about her that Anakin couldn’t quite place, though he couldn’t possibly have met her before. “Anakin Skywalker,” she said, as they drew to a stop facing each other. She looked at Obi-Wan. “And your…friend?”

“I am Obi-Wan Kenobi, another Jedi Knight, and Anakin’s partner on this mission,” Obi-Wan said. “It is good to meet you, Kres’ana’vali.”

“You may call me Sana. It will be faster that way.” Sana looked back and forth between them, her expression unreadable. Anakin had the distinct sense that she was sizing them up - maybe deciding if she could truly trust them.

“You said you needed our help,” Anakin prompted.

“Yes.” Sana looked between them one more time, then seemed to come to a decision. “As I said, there is a building that seems to have belonged to the Jedi - or have been built by them, perhaps - here on Sendala.” Sana turned northward and pointed up toward the mountains. “Up there, in the hills.”

Anakin followed the line of her finger, but couldn’t discern anything out of place in the landscape. “Is it far away?”

“Not so far; but it doesn’t like to be approached by ships. We will have to go there on foot.”

“It doesn’t like- how do you know that?”

“It is something I feel,” Sana said cryptically. “It is too late to go there now. Nightfall comes fast on Sendala; in an hour or so it will be dark, and dangerous to traverse the hills. We should stay here, and go in the morning.”

Anakin had to hold back a smile at the authoritative tone in her voice. It didn’t sound practised; almost like she was trying to imitate someone else, someone whose authority she respected. She was unsure, he thought, and trying to keep control of the situation; trying to seem competent and unfazed. She reminded him instantly of Ahsoka, a thought that brought a pang of grief deep in his chest.

“That sounds like a reasonable plan,” Obi-Wan said, his tone neutral. “Perhaps you’d like to come over to our ship, so that we can talk a little more about the Temple together?” Sana hesitated, throwing a glance back to her own ship. “Any other members of your crew are welcome, of course,” Obi-Wan added.

“There are no other members. Only me.” Sana looked at them again, a determined expression on her face. “Let me get my datapad, then I will come.” With that, she turned and began walking back to her ship. Anakin and Obi-Wan exchanged a glance, then turned and began the short walk back to their own ship.

When Anakin thought they could be reasonably sure Sana was out of earshot, he said, “She’s just a kid, Obi-Wan.”

“Yes, I noticed. She is also Force-sensitive.”

Anakin blinked at him. “She- of course. Somehow I didn’t realise…”

“Her mind feels rather different to most others I have encountered,” Obi-Wan said. “But I have no doubt. She is Force-sensitive, and reasonably powerful. Enough to be trained as a Jedi.”

“If she weren’t so old,” Anakin said, sounding bitter without meaning to.

Obi-Wan glanced at him, his expression unreadable. “Yes,” he said slowly, “If she were younger, she would be a candidate with good potential. To get back to our current situation, however…I feel it is somewhat odd that she is out here all alone.”

“You don’t say,” Anakin said, raising his eyebrows. “And the fact that she’s dressed in a military uniform can’t have escaped you, either.”

“No,” Obi-Wan said, frowning. “There is clearly much more to our Chiss friend than meets the eye. Perhaps we can draw something out of her while we discuss her findings- _subtly_ ,” he added, giving Anakin a warning glare.

Anakin held up his hands. “I get it! I can do subtle.”

“A rancor in a china shop could do subtle better than you,” Obi-Wan said. They had reached the ramp of their ship, and Obi-Wan turned to shoot him a warning glare before he made his way inside. “Let _me_ do the talking.”

“Sure, whatever,” Anakin said, then indulged in making a rude gesture at Obi-Wan’s back.

“I saw that.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“So there was something to see, was there?”

“Shut up Obi-Wan.”

/

“This ship is rather small,” Sana said, seating herself with almost prim precision on the bench seat in the galley.

Anakin smiled a little. “It’s big enough for us.” Obi-Wan was stirring some instant caf into mugs, so Anakin took a seat next to her. Sana had laid an unfamiliar model of datapad on the table in front of her, and Anakin she noticed she kept her hands on it, as if she were afraid to let it go. _She still doesn’t completely trust us_. “So,” he said, trying to make his voice sound friendly, “How did you end up out here all alone, anyway?” He could feel the sharp look Obi-Wan shot his way, but he chose to ignore it.

Sana regarded him coolly. “It is a personal matter,” she said stiffly.

Anakin nodded, leaning back in his seat. “I understand. But you aren’t afraid, being out here all by yourself? Especially with those warring races sending fighters into this system?”

“You are in the military, aren’t you?” Sana asked.

Anakin nodded slowly, wondering where this was going. “I don’t know how you’d know that, since I only introduced myself as a Jedi, but yes; I’m a General in the Grand Army of the Republic.”

“It is in the way you walk; the way you hold yourself.” Sana regarded him with her glowing, somewhat unnerving eyes. “Do you feel afraid out here, General Skywalker?”

The question reminded Anakin uncomfortably of his earlier unease about venturing into the Unknown Regions. “As afraid as I do in any other unknown system, on any other mission.”

Sana waved her hand in a gesture that clearly said _there you have it, then._

Despite himself, Anakin smiled. It was finding he rather liked her direct, somewhat blunt manner.

Obi-Wan set down a mug of caf in front of each of them, then retrieved one for himself and sat down with them at the table. “Perhaps you could start by telling us about how you found the Temple, Sana.”

“It showed up on my long range scans,” Sana said, pushing her datapad toward the middle of the table. With the push of a few buttons, she projected the scan data image into the air between them. The image of a stepped, pyramid-like structure appeared, seemingly half dug into the earth. “I think at least three quarters of the structure is underneath the surface, if not more; something seems to be blocking my scans beyond a certain point.”

Obi-Wan stared at the image, seeming to drink it in, analysing and absorbing it as Sana rotated and zoomed it for him upon his request. Anakin watched it intently as well, trying to see what Obi-Wan was seeing, but this was very definitely Obi-Wan’s area of expertise, given his interest in archaeology; Anakin guessed that the Temple was probably several thousand years old, but most people could’ve guessed that. Obi-Wan reserved judgement until he’d had almost ten minutes to examine it; then he said, “If I saw a Temple of this design closer to the Core, I might guess that it was constructed in the Third Era Pre-Republic. But out here…” Obi-Wan spread his hands. “It’s hard to say. There are reports - unconfirmed reports, I should add - of ancient Jedi making expeditions far into the regions that were, for them, uncharted, and staying for many years. There have always been rumours that they built Temples out here, and that these ancient Temples have been waiting all this time, ripe for discovery.” His eyes darted back to the scan image. “I never thought to actually _find_ one.”

“So you _do_ think it is a Jedi Temple?” Sana asked.

“If it is not, then it was certainly heavily influenced by the Jedi architectural style,” Obi-Wan said.

“You will help me explore it, then?”

“Absolutely,” Anakin said quickly; after a second, Obi-Wan nodded as well.

“I don’t think this is an opportunity we can pass up,” he said. “As I said, everything we know about the early Jedi’s expeditions into the regions now known as the Outer Rim and Wild Space comes from historical sources that are, at best, vague and unverifiable. This could be a chance to gain some concrete knowledge about one of the least understood areas of our history.”

“Then it’s settled; we will explore the Temple tomorrow.” A weight seemed to lift off Sana’s shoulders as she said the words; for the first time, Anakin saw the hint of a smile cross her face. “I propose we begin our trek at sunrise.”

Anakin nodded. “Sounds fine to me.”

Obi-Wan, he noticed, was looking at Sana with an expression that mixed curiosity with a touch of suspicion. “If I might ask, Sana - why is it that you have never ventured into the Temple yourself?”

For a moment Sana didn’t answer; then she said, very quietly, “When I entered the Temple…it told me not to go further.”

Anakin and Obi-Wan exchanged a glance. “You said before that the Temple…told you things. You hear it speaking to you?” Anakin asked.

“It sends visions,” Sana said.

“Force visions,” Obi-Wan murmured.

“I see things, when I enter the Temple,” Sana continued, still in the same small, quiet voice. She was staring down at her hands, and Anakin had the feeling she was seeing something that wasn’t really there. “I hear voices telling me to turn back. But I cannot turn aside.”

“Why?” Anakin asked.

Sana jumped, looking up at him as if she’d forgotten he was there. “Because I cannot.” She stood suddenly, her face stony and still again, a mask of neutrality. “I should return to my ship. I will see you both in the morning.”

Without thinking about it Anakin jumped up as well. “I’ll walk you over there.” At her sceptical look, he added, “Just in case.”

“There is no animal life on Sendala,” Sana said flatly.

“But there are the Avansa and Kwaloire to worry about.”

Sana sighed. “Very well. Let us go.”

Outside the wind had picked up, and the sky was darkening as rapidly as Sana had promised. Anakin grabbed a glowstrip from the emergency webbing beside the ramp as they exited the ship, just in case, and hurried after Sana into the twilight.

“Your contact hasn’t arrived,” Sana said as he caught up to her side. Her expression was hard to see in the dark, but she sounded amused.

“I’m guessing you know that was a lie.”

“I could sense it the moment you spoke the words.”

“Across all that distance between us? That _is_ impressive.”

Sana looked at him out the corner of her eye. “This is a Jedi ability?”

“Yeah; but not just Jedi. Anyone who can use the Force can usually tell truth from a lie, in most cases.”

“You use this word ‘Force’,” Sana said, “I do not know what it means.”

“The Force - it’s what gives Jedi their power. It’s…life. Energy.” He gestured toward her. “You’re Force-sensitive. It’s the same power you use - the thing that allows the Temple to communicate with you.”

“Force-sensitive,” Sana repeated, as if trying the words out in her mouth. “This is what the Jedi call it?”

“Yes. What do the Chiss call it?”

That seemed to stun her a little. “You know my people?” she asked, slightly breathless.

Anakin nodded slowly. “I met a Chiss, once, near Batuu. A military operative on a mission to steal technology - but he helped us. He helped me rescue a Republic ambassador.”

Sana looked surprised. “That is…interesting. That he helped you.”

“Yeah, he was interesting. But that mission…it didn’t end well.” Anakin looked away, trying to bury the memories.

Sana didn’t push, and they walked in silence for a few moments before Anakin asked, “Are there Jedi among the Chiss?”

“No. The Chiss do not have Jedi.” Sana’s mouth twisted for a moment, as if she were debating speaking again; then she added, “We use our gifts in a different way.”

“And you used your gifts?” Anakin asked.

“For the glory of the Ascendancy, yes.” Her tone bordered on sarcastic, and there was something troubled behind Sana’s eyes.

“It’s considered an honour to use your gifts, among your people?” Sana nodded. “Is that why you’re here?” Anakin asked, “To discover more about the Force, and...bring more honour?”

A fire seemed to light in Sana’s face; for a moment she looked almost incandescent with anger. “No,” she spat, “I am no longer using my gifts for others.” She stopped, and after a second Anakin stopped too; belatedly he realised they had reached the ramp of her ship. Sana turned her still-burning eyes on him and said, “Now, I am using my gifts for myself.”

Without another word she turned and disappeared into her ship, leaving Anakin to navigate his way back alone in the dark.

/

They came together the next morning just after dawn. A soft mist hung in the air around them, condensing on Anakin’s face and hair and turning everything to a flat, gloomy grey. He shivered inside his cloak; the temperature had not got much above freezing.

Sana looked unconcerned, dressed in a thick black coat that Anakin suspected was a size too big for her. “Good morning,” she greeted, “I will now lead you to the Temple.”

“Is it far?” Anakin asked, already missing the warm interior of their ship.

“About an hour’s hike to the north.”

Anakin suppressed a groan, but Obi-Wan shot him an amused look anyway. He could tell Anakin was extremely uncomfortable with the cold and damp, and as usual, it made him amused rather than sympathetic. Anakin stamped down on the urge to stick his tongue out at Obi-Wan’s back.

Together the three of them made good time. Their hike started in the flat, grassy coastal headlands, but soon the path became undulating as they passed into the low foothills. Sana led them with unerring accuracy, following a path on her handheld scanner; and after just over an hour of steep paths and unrelenting drizzle, they crested the ridge of a hill to see the Jedi Temple laid out before them.

Anakin couldn’t help the low whistle that hissed between his teeth. The stones of the Temple’s sides were overgrown with moss and lichen, so much that it seemed the entire structure had been carpeted in green, and the colour of the stone underneath was impossible to see. It rose in equal stepped levels to a height of about a hundred metres, and there was a wide dark portal at ground level that Anakin assumed was the door.

He leant over and whispered to Obi-Wan, “I told you there was a Jedi Temple.”

Obi-Wan’s only response was to roll his eyes.

Sana led them to the entrance, and stopped on the threshold. When Anakin breathed in, his nose caught the scent of moss, old stone, and something he could only describe as _age_ , a scent that seemed to waft in waves out of the dark entrance to the Temple.

For a moment they all stood on the threshold, unmoving; then Obi-Wan stepped over, and after a second, Sana and Anakin followed him. “I have never gone beyond the first room,” Sana said in a hushed whisper as they entered.

Anakin cracked a glowstick, and bright yellow light spilled out. “Look,” Anakin said, pointing, “Carvings.”

All four walls of the room were covered in artwork, carved deep into the grey stone. Spots of colour glimmered here and there, and Anakin had the feeling there might once have been paint on these murals as well. They depicted figures, stars, circles, flowing lines; he followed them with his finger, trying to parse what they were attempting to communicate to the viewer, but found the meaning impenetrable.

“Sana,” he heard Obi-Wan say, an urgent note to his voice.

Anakin whipped round, his hand jumping to his lightsaber. Sana was standing in the middle of the room, staring at the door that would lead further into the Temple. Her entire body shook and vibrated like a lightning rod. Obi-Wan was standing close by, his hand half-extended, as if he feared to touch her.

Anakin stepped up and laid a hand on her shoulder without hesitating. “Sana?” he said. “Can you hear me?”

For just a second he heard a voice, as if someone had whispered just behind his ear. _Turn back_ , it said, in a hissing, soft voice; predictably, there was no one there when Anakin turned to look.

Sana gasped and came back to herself, breathing hard. “They try to turn me away from the Temple again,” she gasped.

“Perhaps with good reason,” Obi-Wan said.

Sana shook her head, the movement sharp and violent. “No. I have come this far; I cannot be turned away now.”

“There may be something within the Temple that you do not wish to see,” Obi-Wan said.

“I cannot turn away,” Sana repeated, a note of desperation in her voice.

“Why?” Anakin asked, intentionally keeping his voice soft.

Sana swallowed thickly. “If I do, I will lose the Third Sight forever.”

“The Third Sight?” Obi-Wan questioned.

“This thing you call the Force; this power that lives in our blood. If I do not find some way to hold onto it, I will lose it.”

Anakin felt cold to the core. He had never heard of someone losing the Force; could not imagine the horror and devastation if that vital part of him were to be cut away. “You can’t lose the Force,” he said, though even to his own ears he sounded uncertain.

“We can,” Sana said simply.

“It may be that the Chiss lose their Force sensitivity over time,” Obi-Wan said, his voice taking on a soothing tone. “But the Force will always be with you, Sana; it will always be a part of you, even if you lose the ability to manipulate it.”

Sana shook her head. “I cannot give up without trying. I must see what is inside the Temple.”

Anakin nodded, tightening his grip on her shoulder. “We have to try and help her, Obi-Wan,” he said.

Obi-Wan gave a heavy sigh. “I want you both to know that I think this is a bad idea,” he said.

“But you’re too curious to see what’s going on in that Temple to back out now,” Anakin said, finding himself smiling despite the heavy situation.

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said. “And it may yet be my downfall.” He reached out and took Sana’s hand. “Come then; the three of us will venture forth, and see what awaits us in the dark.”

Sana nodded and squeezed his hand; she raised her other to cover Anakin’s on her shoulder. Together, the three of them stepped into the darkness of the Temple.


	3. Stone, Sea, Sky

_Stone_

When Sana opened her eyes, she found she was back at her post on the _Sunwake_ , her hands poised over the hyperdrive controls.

It had been a dream; Sendala, the Jedi, the Temple, the visions. All of it. An escape from reality, a daydream while she’d been sitting here at her station, ready to perform for her masters once again.

Then a hand tightened on her shoulder, and she heard Anakin Skywalker’s voice say, “Where are we, Sana?”

The relief was like a stream of cool water dousing the wildfire panic that had been growing in her chest. “This is the _Sunwake_ ,” she said, her voice shaking a little.

“The ship you served on?” Obi-Wan’s voice asked.

“Yes.” Sana got up, her legs weak underneath her, and stepped away from her station; then she stopped, staring. She had moved away, but still she seemed to sit there; some vision, some solid-seeming apparition had taken her place in the chair.

“Sana?” Anakin questioned.

She turned to look at him; he was staring at her with a question clear in his eyes. “I don’t know,” she said, “This has never happened before.”

At the same time the three of them registered the sound of boots clicking across the bridge floor; the Sana at the hyperdrive station jumped out of her seat and stood to attention as a white-uniformed, adult Chiss entered the vision. “Admiral,” the other-Sana said, performing a crisp, perfect salute.

“Kres’ana’vali,” the Admiral acknowledged, “I require you in my office.”

Sana could feel a painful stinging feeling, like bile or potent poison, creeping up through her throat as they watched the other-Sana follow the Admiral through the pristine corridors of the _Sunwake_ , following their progress without needing to walk or move themselves. She knew this moment; she relived it in her mind at night whenever she couldn’t sleep, whenever she had nothing to keep her busy and block out unwanted thoughts. She remembered how she had felt, the nerves and foreboding mixed with excitement. What possible reason could the Admiral have for summoning her, she had thought. Was she to receive a commendation, or discipline?

As it had turned out, neither. The Admiral was not one to beat about the bush; the moment she had settled in her chair, she had said, “The CDF is not satisfied with your piloting speed as of late, Kres’ana’vali.”

Sana remembered the cold pit that had formed in her stomach. “I can do better, Admiral,” she’d said instantly.

The Admiral shook her head. “No, Kres’ana’vali; I know you are working to the best of your ability. You are not one to slack. But you grow older; the Third Sight wanes.” She had smiled then; a sympathetic smile that was like a dagger to Sana’s heart. “There is no shame in this, Kres’ana’vali. You have served us well. But now the time has come to surrender your post. I have already spoken to the Admiralty; they will be providing us with a new pilot when we next make port. Your family will also be there, waiting for your safe return.” Her smile had widened. “They will be very proud.”

As she watched her other self, watched her struggle to contain the devastating horror that coursed through her, watched her try to hide it all behind a blank mask, Sana felt the echo of it reverberate through her own chest. She had known that one day she would no longer be a pilot; to be faced with the reality was something quite different.

“Thank you, Admiral,” her past self managed to say, her voice shaking ever so slightly.

“We will need to make our next jump in three hours,” the Admiral had said, “You are excused until then. Dismissed.”

As they followed her other self back out into the corridor, Anakin said, “They really make a girl as young as you serve as a _pilot_?”

“We can navigate,” Sana said, forcing the words past the lump in her throat. “With the Third Sight. Through the changing hyperlanes.”

Anakin began to ask another question, but she saw Obi-Wan put a hand on his arm. She nodded at him, trying to show her gratitude without words; she didn’t think she could answer a barrage of questions right now.

She remembered these next moments with all too perfect clarity; going back to her room and crying, curled up on her bed, convinced that her life was over now. Then the sudden anger; the determination. She would not lose the Third Sight. She _could not_. If the Admiralty and the CDF weren’t prepared to find a way to help her do that, then she would find one on her own.

She’d snuck out of her room and down to the hangar bay, using her size to slip into gaps and hide in shadows no adult could have, relying on her precognition to let her know when she’d need to duck out of sight. “I can tell where this is going,” Anakin said as her other self stepped out into the hangar bay. He sounded amused, almost admiring, rather than disapproving.

She’d chosen the largest, fastest ship in the hangar - which also happened to be the Admiral’s own personal vessel. Anakin had a good laugh when she told him this, as they watched her former self sneak into the cockpit; even Obi-Wan cracked a smile as she got the engines started and flew the ship with expert grace out of the hangar, jumping to hyperspace before the capital ship could get a lock on the smaller, much more manoeuvrable craft. “And that’s how I stole the _Sunburst_ ,” she said, as they watched the starlines stretch and fade to the blue of hyperspace.

“I knew I liked you,” Anakin said, still chuckling; then they were plunged into darkness.

When she opened her eyes next, she was once again standing on the bridge of a Chiss capital ship; this time, though, everything was abuzz, with officers seated at every station and orders flying in every direction. A muted shaking rocked the ship, and one of the techs announced, “Hit on the starboard forward laser battery!”

“Damage?” asked a sharp, commanding, and somehow _familiar_ voice.

“The shields held, Admiral.”

Sana turned. Behind them, standing in the typical position for the commanding officer of the ship, was a tall Chiss woman in a white uniform, her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes intent on the holodisplay projecting a map of the battlefield. Sana stared at her, feeling something cold slither and twist in her gut. The curve of her jaw, the arch of her brows, the line of her nose…

Anakin’s hand tightened on her shoulder again. “Sana…”

“No,” she whispered, her voice very quiet.

The ship rocked again, and another tech called out damage. “There is a transmission for you from the Fleet Admiral, sir,” the comms officer called.

“Put him through,” the Admiral called.

The image of a Chiss man in a similar white uniform appeared in place of the battlefield holodisplay. “Admiral Ana’vali,” he said, and Sana’s mind went blank.

Anakin’s hand was still on her shoulder, and she could see his face, his lips mouthing her name; but she could hear nothing, see nothing but the woman in the white uniform.

In her heart of hearts, Sana had dreamed of being a Jedi. Of learning how from the visions and murals in their Temple; of keeping her gift, of taking up a lightsaber of her own.

The woman in front of her was no Jedi; no Force-user at all, so far as Sana could tell. A high-ranking military officer, maybe. But in the end, military officers were common as skunkrats in the Ascendancy, and none of them were truly special. Admiral Ana’vali would just be another cog in the inexorable Chiss military machine, driving their grinding, lumbering navy forward, and crushing others like her under their bulk. Exemplary, but not extraordinary. Not remembered by history. Not _free_.

“No,” she whispered, slowly shaking her head.

“Sana!” Anakin’s voice. “Sana, snap out of it!”

“No,” she said, her voice gaining volume, “No!”

 /

_Sea_

Within the space of a blink, the scene before them changed. A moment ago Obi-Wan had been watching Anakin and Sana, the former’s hands clutching the latter’s shoulders, trying to snap her out of her rising hysteria as a space battle raged around them; the next second they were all standing apart, joined only by their clasped hands. They were in what appeared to be an industrial plant of some sort; as he looked around, the scene became suddenly, painfully familiar.

They were standing in the plasma refinery underneath the Royal Palace of Theed.

“Where in the galaxy are we now?” Anakin demanded; a second later, the hum and clash of lightsabers reached their ears.

“Jedi,” Sana said; Obi-Wan turned to see her staring up at a higher walkway, watching the flashing lights as green and blue clashed with red. Her eyes were clear, the rising tide of hysteria seemingly stemmed by the sight before her.

The three fighting figures jumped down onto the walkway level with them, and who they were became clearer - though Obi-Wan suspected Anakin knew, like he did, exactly who they were.

Anakin’s voice was very quiet as he whispered, “Oh, no. No.”

Obi-Wan had seen this play out night after night, as he tried to wrest some peaceful sleep from the grip of his nightmares; but it still hurt to see it now, to see Qui-Gon so vibrant and _alive_ as he fought, ducked, swung at Maul. It hurt to know that in a scant few minutes, they would have to watch that great fire gutter and go out.

“That is you, Master Obi-Wan,” Sana said, her eyes fixed on the figures.

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said. Beside him, Anakin made to step forward, his hand on his lightsaber- but Obi-Wan caught his arm. “This is just a vision, Anakin,” he said quietly, “This has all happened. There is nothing we can do to change the past.”

“I- I wish-” Anakin stopped, letting out a hiss of frustration through his teeth.

“I know.” Obi-Wan took his hand. “I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Anakin said hotly, “This wasn’t your fault. This was _never_ your fault.”

Obi-Wan smiled sadly. “I meant, I’m sorry for your pain, Anakin.”

When Anakin turned to look at him, there were unshed tears in his eyes. “Master,” he whispered.

He didn’t get any further. The vision shifted, bringing them closer to the action, just in time for the pivotal moment. Obi-Wan felt his insides turn to ice as he watched Maul drive his lightsaber through Qui-Gon’s stomach; beside him, Anakin let out a little gasp, and he heard Sana hiss through her teeth.

Obi-Wan let the vision wash over him, trying to pull himself back to a place of inner peace. He had seen this in his nightmares many times; he had overcome the pain. He could do it now, even when the vision was so much clearer, felt so much more real. He breathed in, then out, calming himself even as his younger self flipped upward, bisecting Maul and sending him tumbling down the reactor shaft. He closed his eyes and forced his mind to be still, even as he heard himself crying, heard Qui-Gon’s final, whispered words.

“He asked you to train me?” Anakin asked in a small, hesitant voice.

“Of course.” Obi-Wan squeezed Anakin’s hand. “He cared very deeply about you, Anakin.”

He heard Anakin take a breath; then he felt a shift, and suddenly the world around him was blisteringly hot, and a scorching wind was dusting a fine layer of sand against his face.

He opened his eyes. An expanse of shifting, ochre-yellow sand fell away before him, and heat beat mercilessly down on his face. Squinting upward, he could see there were two suns in the impossibly blue sky.

“Where are we?” Sana asked.

“I don’t know,” Obi-Wan said, but even as he said them the words felt like a lie. He did know. He’d been here before.

“Look,” Anakin said, his voice low and tight.

Obi-Wan turned. Behind him was a small, square adobe hut; and pottering around in front of it was an old man in dusty brown robes, his head shielded by a wide-brimmed hat.

It took a moment for Obi-Wan to make the connection. “That’s me,” he said quietly.

The older Obi-Wan was weathered, his face lined and sun-burnt, his hair pure white. But more than anything, Obi-Wan knew just from looking at him that he was sad; that an overwhelming, bone-deep sorrow had pierced him to the core, and that even in his lighter moments he would always be dogged by that feeling. The thought was suddenly, utterly terrifying. Obi-Wan had weathered many storms, and often suffered their sorrowful memories in the quiet moments of his life - but he had always been able to put that sorrow aside, to find happiness and hope for a better tomorrow. The thought of being trapped here - for this version of himself, he knew, was utterly trapped, thought by _what_ was a mystery - but being here, alone, forever mired in this listless melancholia, was a future more terrifying than he’d ever imagined.

“I’m alone,” he whispered.

He felt Anakin squeeze his hand. “No - you’re not alone. This isn’t your future.”

Obi-Wan swallowed around his choked throat. “You don’t know that.”

“I do.” When Obi-Wan looked at him, Anakin’s face was set in a determined glower. “I’m not going to _let_ this be your future.”

“Anakin-”

In a blink, the world changed.

/

_Sky_

Anakin felt sand trickling through his cupped hand, a small waterfall that cascaded out of his palm to rejoin the millions of grains that covered the ground below.

He raised his head, and felt the sight of his mother’s grave like a punch to his chest.

Everything was exactly as it had been the first time he'd lived this moment. The sand underneath his knees and running coarse through his hands; the hot wind caressing his face; Beru’s soft words behind him as she whispered a prayer.

But now, Obi-Wan was here too. His hand landed on Anakin’s shoulder, a comforting reminder that this wasn’t real. It was just a memory; something this strange Temple was using to torment him.

“Anakin, I…I’m sorry,” Obi-Wan whispered. “I…should have listened to you. About your dreams. About your mother.”

Anakin couldn’t help but be stunned. Obi-Wan had never said as much, not so plainly and openly. Anakin had tried not to resent him for his misguided advice, had reminded himself that Obi-Wan could never have known what would happen as a result of ignoring the dreams; but to hear him say it now eased something inside that Anakin hadn’t even known was tense.

“You didn’t know,” he said softly.

“Still, I should have listened. I should have taken you seriously.”

There was nothing to say to that; it was the truth. For a long time Anakin stayed still, kneeling in the sand, letting the pain of the memory wash over him. Letting himself feel. It still hurt; not as fresh as it had been once, but the pain was still sharp, like a wound that had scabbed over but not quite healed.

With a long breath out through his nose, he rose to his feet and closed his eyes. _It hurts; but it will always hurt. This isn’t real, and we need to get out of here._

“Take me to the next vision,” he said quietly.

When he opened his eyes again, it was as if he’d walked into a nightmare.

The smell of fire and death stung in his nose. He heard Obi-Wan make a sharp, pained noise of shock and grief; Sana gave a little scream.

It was the Jedi Temple - but nothing like the calm, serene place they had left. The floor was strewn with rubble from fallen walkways, huge gouges had been torn out of the walls and floors and ceilings, and Anakin could see the flickering red of flames out of the corner of his eye.

In front of them, the floor was strewn with bodies.

Anakin could hear screams and the sound of blasterfire from somewhere further away, but he couldn’t drag his eyes away from the bodies. They were Jedi; Jedi he had _known_.

They were supposed to be safe in the Temple. The Temple was on Coruscant, the heart of Republic power - untouchable. But this vision of the future…Did it mean the Separatists were going to win?

Anakin felt a hand slip into his. He looked around, expecting Obi-Wan, but found it was Sana who had taken his hand. Their eyes met; for the first time, Sana looked like the thirteen year old she really was. She looked afraid. “I don’t understand what’s happening,” she whispered.

Anakin shook his head. “Neither do I.”

He felt rather than saw Obi-Wan step up to his other side. “The bodies…” He stopped, having to swallow to clear the thickness from his voice. “Lightsaber burns. Someone with a lightsaber killed these Jedi.”

There was a sick pit in Anakin’s stomach. “ _Dooku_ ,” he hissed.

“Yes. Perhaps.”

 _Or perhaps not_. Anakin stared down at the bodies, his mind working overtime. The Temple wasn’t just showing this to him to hurt him; there was a _reason_ , a reason behind all their visions. Sana’s was clear enough to interpret, he thought. She was going to lose her gift to manipulate the Force, and would need to choose a different path for her life to take. Obi-Wan’s visions had been about loss, and loneliness; a warning, Anakin thought, against pushing everyone away - although maybe that was only his own bias talking.

His visions also featured loss, and disaster. Devastating loss. But what did his mother’s death and the possible destruction of the Jedi have in common?

 _Mom died because I didn’t get to her in time. I didn’t see or understand what was coming in time to save her._ That, Anakin thought, could be the key. He had been given the opportunity to save her, but he hadn’t understood the warnings in time.

“Surely one Jedi could not do all this,” Sana was saying.

“Dooku is _not_ a Jedi,” Anakin hissed.

“A Sith?”

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said heavily. “If Dooku and his army were able to destroy the Jedi Temple, it would mean the Separatists had conquered Coruscant. That-”

Anakin waved at him to be quiet; he’d spotted something moving in the darkness on the walkway above. “There,” he said, pointing.

The figure was draped in a long black cloak, with a hood covering their head. Anakin could feel the sick darkness rolling off them in waves, like a thick, noxious, choking odour that clogged his mouth and nose. The Dark Side.

The figure turned; their eyes seemed to lock onto Anakin’s own. He could see nothing in the shadow of the hood; but when the figure raised their hand, the lightsaber they ignited was not Dooku’s elegant red blade.

This blade was _blue_.

“A traitor,” Anakin breathed.


	4. Darkness; Light

_Darkness_

The place where they hung was not space, and it was not earth. It was not here, or there; up or down; warm or cold.

It was dark.

Anakin could see the others, hanging in the darkness before him.

There were tears running down Sana’s face. “I am going to lose my gift,” she whispered. She wasn’t speaking Meese Caulf anymore - but somehow, here, Anakin could understand her. “I will never be a Jedi.”

He could feel certainty in his own heart; he felt sure that he knew now what the visions were trying to tell him. “Someone is going to betray the Jedi,” he said, “And I must stop them.”

There were unshed tears in Obi-Wan’s eyes as well. “I cannot become that man,” he whispered. “I can’t lose you.”

Anakin reached out for his hand. “Obi-Wan-”

Darkness.

/

_Light_

When Anakin opened his eyes, he found himself standing in the Temple’s antechamber.

Obi-Wan and Sana were both standing beside him. Sana was wiping her eyes with her sleeves, trying to stem the flow of tears down her cheeks; without a word, Anakin went over and put an arm around her shoulders.

“I think-” Obi-Wan began, and then stopped, his voice too thick to continue. He cleared his throat and tried again. “I think, after all that, we might need a sit down and a restorative mug of caf.”

“That sounds like a damn good idea,” Anakin agreed.

Sana sniffed, and nodded.

They trekked back down to the ships in silence; when they reached their landing zone, all three of them entered the Jedi vessel by silent agreement, and sat down to drink three steaming mugs of caf without a single word.

When she’d finished her mug, Sana put it down on the tabletop and said, “The Temple was trying to tell me that I’m never going to be a Jedi.”

Reluctantly, Anakin nodded. “I think so.”

After several silent seconds, Sana said, “I’m not going back to the Ascendancy.”

“You can come with us,” Anakin offered instantly. “We could find- I don’t know, something, we’ve got friends outside the Jedi who could help you-”

Sana was already shaking her head. “No. Thank you, but no. I need…I think I need to explore this galaxy for myself. To discover my true purpose.”

The words were so reminiscent of Ahsoka’s parting words to him that for a moment Anakin couldn’t speak for the pain; he just nodded instead. “You’ve got a beautiful ship,” he said after a second, “And you’ve survived out here all alone. I think you can take care of yourself.”

“You certainly can,” Obi-Wan said. He was regarding Sana with that vaguely suspicious look again. “I had wondered at the coincidence of us being in this sector at this exact moment. Now I wonder…were we meant to be here?”

A small smile crossed Sana’s face. “If you mean, did I spread rumours that the Separatists were meeting contacts from the Unknown Regions on this world, then the answer is yes. I had hoped that Jedi would come to investigate.”

Anakin frowned. “How long have you _been_ here?”

A look of sadness crossed Sana’s face. “A long time.”

“And now you have your answer. I am sorry it was not the one you wanted to hear,” Obi-Wan said.

Sana shook her head. “It was an answer; that is enough.” She stood with the sudden, direct abruptness that Anakin was beginning to recognise as her defining trait. “I cannot stay here any longer,” she said, “Perhaps I have been here too long already. I have my own path to make; but I will be at your service, should we ever meet again.”

“And we at yours,” Obi-Wan murmured.

Sana nodded stiffly. “Goodbye.” Her eyes flicked to Anakin as she added, “Thank you.”

Despite himself, Anakin gave her a grin. “Anytime.”

The two of them didn’t follow her down the ramp. The cockpit windows faced the _Sunburst_ across the small stretch of ground that separated them; Anakin sat in the pilot’s seat and watched as Sana walked up the ramp to her ship, and then minutes later, he watched as the engines started, and the sleek craft soared up and away into the stormy grey sky.

“I get the feeling she won’t have any trouble handling herself,” Obi-Wan said as he slipped into the chair beside Anakin’s.

“No. I think she’ll be just fine.” Anakin turned in his chair to look at him. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Despite his meticulous control, Anakin could see Obi-Wan’s back stiffen. “What?”

“You know what. The Temple. The visions.”

Obi-Wan sighed heavily. “I know what the Temple was trying to tell me. I just don’t know _how_ to avoid…that future.”

“I do,” Anakin said. “I was warned before, that my mother was going to die. Now, I’ve been warned again. A Jedi is going to betray the Order, and destroy everything we have. We have to stop him.”

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said softly, “That did seem to be the gist of that message.”

“I _will_ stop the traitor,” Anakin said. Their hands had been joined so often in the visions that it was almost unconscious now to reach out and take Obi-Wan’s hand. “You won’t have to face that future. The Order won’t be destroyed, and we’ll…be together.”

There was something like fear in Obi-Wan’s eyes as he looked up sharply. “Anakin- we can’t-”

“I know,” Anakin said, squeezing Obi-Wan’s hand. “It’s not the Jedi way. But maybe it’s _our_ way; what _we’re_ supposed to do.” He smiled, rubbing his thumb over the back of Obi-Wan’s hand. “Do you remember how the clones ask each other what they’d do, if they weren’t troopers?”

Obi-Wan nodded wordlessly.

“I asked you what you’d do, if you weren’t a Jedi.” When Obi-Wan didn’t answer, Anakin continued, “You could still be a concert pianist, you know.”

“Not while being a Jedi,” Obi-Wan whispered.

“No. But the future isn’t set in stone. Sana’s proving that, right now; she’s never going to be that Admiral she saw in her vision.” Anakin looked up and met Obi-Wan’s wary gaze. “Who _we are_ isn’t set in stone. We can change ourselves, whenever we want. We can be something else.”

Obi-Wan’s eyes slipped away, and the look on his face became pensive. “I can’t lose you,” he whispered, almost to himself.

“Nor I you,” Anakin said.

Obi-Wan met his eyes again. “Then, maybe…”

They both jumped nearly halfway out of their chairs as the comms system began to beep. “Incoming transmission,” Anakin said when he had his breath back.

“We’d best see what it is,” Obi-Wan said, moving to the controls.

They were too far out for holograms, so it was only Master Windu’s voice that filtered through the speakers. “Obi-Wan, Anakin,” he said, “Are you receiving, over?”

“Loud and clear, master. Go ahead, over.”

“I need you to break off from your mission and come back to Republic space. There’s a situation brewing on Mandalore that you’re needed to handle, over.”

“Very good, master; we were about to head for home anyway. As it turns out, we were chasing ghosts out here. There is no Separatist presence in the area, over.”

“That’s good news. Make for Mandalore with all speed; you’ll have a more detailed briefing when we know more. Over and out.”

The transmission closed off, and for a moment neither of them moved. “Obi-Wan-” Anakin said, and then stopped, unsure how to voice all the things he wanted to say.

“After the war,” Obi-Wan said. “I…This has made me realise I could consider many options; many different paths to my life. But not before this war is over. I can’t abandon the Jedi now.”

Anakin shook his head. “The Force has given me a warning; we can’t ignore it. Before we go anywhere, do anything else, we must root out this traitor among the Jedi. The, maybe…”

Slowly, Obi-Wan reached out to take his hand again. “Then…maybe.”

A grin grew almost of its own accord on Anakin’s face. “What would you be, if you weren’t a Jedi?”

An answering smile pulled at the corner of Obi-Wan’s mouth. “Anything I wanted to be.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
